Elastic yarn-feeding means fob



Nov. 16 1926. 1,606,756

(3. FILBERG ELASTIC YARN FEEDING MEANS FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Jan. 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 WITNESSES a Z M5 2? 6 7127/5 lam l erg; 3 flu.) 7 MW TTORNEYS.

Nov. 16 1926. 1,606,756-

C. FILBERG ELASTIC YARN FEEDING MEANS FOR KNITTING MACHI-NES Filed Jan. 29, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 WI TNESSES 1 N V EN TOR.-

Christian Fzlbery, B Y

Nova 16 1926.

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Patented Nov. 16, 1926.

UNITED STATES CHRISTIAN FILBEBG, OF PHILADELPHIA, PEI Q'NSYLVANIA.

ELASTIC YARN-FEEDING MEANS FOR KNITTING MACHINES.

Application filed January 29, 1926. Serial No. 84,562.

This invention relates to feeding means useful with rib knitting machines to continuously inlay elastic yarn between opposing loops (respectively draw by the two sets of needles) concurrently with knitting successive courses of the fabric.

More specifically speaking, my invention is concerned with feeding elastic yarn under varying tension, to the needles of circular machines to enable production of fashioned elastic tubular work such as therapeutic stockings, abdominal bands, etc; and has for its object the attainment of the foregoing desid'eratum in feeding means which l5 is extremely simple in construction, ,thoroughly reliable in operation, capable of both manual and automatic control, and which is in the nature of an attachment readily applicable to standard types of rib knitters without requiring any alteration whatever either in their construction or usual mode of operation.

In the drawings herewith Fig. Iis a plan view of a typical rib knitting machine equipped with the elastic yarn feeding means of my invention.

Fig. II is an elevation of the organization looking toward the left hand end of Fig. I.

Fig. III is a detail view on a very much larger scale than the preceding views, showing, in end elevation, the carrier which supports the cooperative pinch rollers that determine the feeding rate of the elastic yarn, and associated parts of the mechanism whereby variable speed is imparted to said rollers; and

' Fig. IV is a sectional elevation taken as indicated by the arrow IVIV in Fig. III. 40 The knitting head of the machine herein chosen for'convenience of illustration, embodies, as shown in Figs. I, II, a fixed needle cylinder 10 with an associated ribbing dial 11, and a surrounding rotatable cam ring r 12 for actuating the cylinder needles, the

same being driven through suitable gearing (not shown) from a main drive shaft 13 which is journalled in bearings of the machme frame 14, and carries the usual tight and loose pulleys 15, 16. The chain 17 for measuring the length of the tubular product of the machine,'-' is hung from'a sprocket wheel 18, (located at the end of the machine opposite that occcpied by the pulleys -16) said sprocket wheel being intermittently progressed by anattached ratchet wheel- 19 which is subject to a pawl 20 whereto reciprocatory movement is imparted by a crank disk 21 on the end of a horizontal shaft 22. This shaft 22 has journal support in the frame 14, and, at the opposite end of the machine, has aflixed to it a gear 23 that meshes with a spur pinion 24 on the main shaft 13. The ordinary knitting yarn Y is fed to the cylinder and dial needles N, N under guidance of an eye in a segmental guide plate and needle latch opener 25. The operation of the machine, per se, is after well known practice and need not therefore,

be discussed herein except in connect-ion with the feeding means of my invention which I will now proceed to describe in detail.

The instrumentalities directly concerned in the feeding of the elastic yarn in accordance with the present improvement, are shown in detail in Figs. III and IV. This mechanism includes a carrier bracket housing 26 having the form of an open sided rectangular box, which is attached at the periphery of the rotating cam ring 12 to extend outward over the bed plate 27 ofthe machine, by integral straps 28, screw bolts 29 being used as a convenient securing means, see Fig. I. Journalled in a central vertical bearing of the bracket housing 26 is a shaft 30 with a drive disk 31 aflixed to its upper end. A gear pinion 32' secured to the depending end of the shaft 30 is in mesh with an idler pinion 33, in turn coordinated with an annular gear rack 34 which is concentrically disposed about the knitting head of the machine and fixed to the bed plate 27 by flankingradial arms 35. With this arrangement, it will be apparent that the drive disk 31 is constantly rotated incidentally to orbital travel about the knitting head. Adapted to run in contact with the upper surface of the drive disk 31, is a friction wheel 36 that is mounted on a horizontal shaft 37, see Fig. IV, with capacity for being axially shifted thereon in a direction radially of said drive disk, a spline or key 38 serving to cause the shaft to turn with the roller. One extremity of-the shaft 37 is borne in a journal boss 39 at one end of the housing 26; while its other extremity is mounted in a bearing member 40 ca able of slight vertical movement under gui ance of headed retaining screws 41 let into the opposite end of the housing and engaging aligned s1ots42- in said hearing member.

Enroute from a source of supply (not shown) revolving with the cam ring 12, the elastic yarn designated Y is passed between a pair of cooperating corrugated pinch feed rolls 43, 44 whereof the first is secured to that end of the shaft 37 which protrudes through the bearing member 40, see Fig. IV, and the second supported by a lever arm 45 pivotally connected at 45 to the housing 26. A helical spring 45 in tension between a fixed anchorage on the housing 26 and the free end of the lever arm 45, is instrumental in maintainin the feed roll 44 in pressure contact with lts fellow 43, and, (by virtue of the vertical movement accorded the hearing member 40) the friction wheel 36 firmly in contact with the drive disk 31.

The means for progressing the friction I wheel 36 along its shaft 37 for the purpose of varying the speed of the feed rolls 43, 44 (and the degree of tension at which the yarn Y is fed) includes a screw 46 which is rotatively supported in parallel relation to the shaft 37 by bearings 47 at opposite ends of the housing 26. A follower 48 mounted on the screw 46 has an inwardlyextending forked arm 49 engaging a circumferential recess 50 in the hub of the friction roller 36 to advance the latter in one direction or the other along its shaft in correspondence with op osite directional ro tation of said screw. s a means to enable ascertainment of the degree of tension being maintained on the yarn Y at any time during the knitting of a garment, I provide a graduated scale bar 51 which is afiixed to the outer side of the housing 26 for coordination with a pointer 52 projecting outwardly and upwardly from the follower 48, see Figs. II and IV. The elastic yarn Y is held to central travel between the-feed rolls by guides 53, 54, one of these being attached to the lever arm 45 to overhang the roll 44, and the other secured directly to the corresponding end of the bracket housing 26 at a level slightly below the roll 43. In further travel, the elastic yarn Y passes through an auxiliary guide 55 capable of adjustment on a post 56 upstanding from the cam ring 12 (Fig. I) so as to be directed tangentially to the knitting head. On its top, near the inner side, the bracket housing 26 carries a disk tension device 57 and a 5guide 58 by way of which theknitting yarn is directed to the eye in the segmental guide plate 25 hereinbefore referred to.

For the purpose of controlling the positional shifting of the friction wheel 36 relative to the drive disk 31, I provide the mechanism comprehensively designated 60 in Figs. I and II. This mechanism 60 comprises a bracket 61 that is secured tothe bed plate 27 so as to overhang the sprocket wheel 18, and affords bearing for tappet members having the form of. pins 1 2, 63

which are independently shiftable vertically (as hereinafter fully described) into the path of a star wheel 64 secured on the depending end of a shaft 65 carried by. the bracket housing 26, said shaft being directly coordinated with the screw 46 by-spiral gearing 66, The tappet pins 62, 63- are urged" downwardly by helical springs encirclin them individually for maintenance of rol ers 68 at their lower ends in engagment with cam levers 70, 71 pivoted for independent movement on a common mounting stiid 72 projecting laterally from the machine frame 14, see Figs. I and II. The depending cam projections of the levers 70, 71 lie in the path of lugs 73, 74 respectively at opposite sides of the measuring chain, those remote from the observer in Fig. II being line shaded to distinguish them from the ones in the foreground.

vThe operation of my invention is as follows: Step-wise progression of the measuring chain 17, through the action of pawl 20 on the ratchet wheel 19, causes successive advancement of the lugs 73, 74 beneath the cam levers 70, 71 with the result that the tappet pins 62, 63 are elevated alternately. The star wheel 64 on the bracket housing 26, as it sweeps by, is consequently engaged either on the one or the'other side of its rotative axis, and such movement transmitted by the gearing 66 to the screw 46, which, in turn, is rotated either clockwise or vice versa. With clockwise movement of the screw 46, it will be apparent that the friction wheel 36 is moved inward toward the center of driving disk 31 thereby effecting a reduction in the speed of the feed rolls 43, 44, so that the elastic yarn Y is fed at greater tension. On the other hand, counter clockwise rotation of the screw 46 is attended by outward movement of the friction wheel 36 relative to the disk 31, with consequent increasein the speed of the feed rolls 43 and 44 and delivery of the elastic yarn Y under lesser tension. By judicious arrangement of the lugs 7 3, 74 on the measuring chain 17, it will 'be seen that the variation in the speed of pinch rolls 43, 44 may be so graduated as to predetermine any desired shape in the finished tubular garment. When the knitting is to be according to special specifications, the tappet pins 62, 63 may be selectively controlled'manually as required, by manipulation of handles 75, 76 provided on the cam levers 70, 71 for this purpose, and under assistance of the tension recording pointer 52 and scale 51.

Having thus described my invention, I claim: I I

1. Elastic yarn feeding means for circular knitting 'machines comprising a feed roll, a revolving disk having orbital move- .ment about the knitting head, and a cooperating drivcn wheel shiftable radially of the disk for impartation of variable speed to the feed roll aforesaid. y

2. Elastic yarn feeding means for circular knitting machines comprising a feed roll, a revolving disk havin orbital movement about the knitting hea a cooperating driven Wheel running in contact with the drive disk, and an associated screw to shift the friction wheel radially of the drive disk for impartation of variable speed to the feed roll aforesaid.

3. Elastic yarn feeding means for circular knitting machines comprising a feed roll, a'revolving drive disk having orbital movement about the knitting head, a cooperating driven wheel, and automatic means controlling shifting of the wheel radially of the disk for impartation of variable speed to the feed roll aforesaid.

4. Elastic yarn feeding means for circular knitting -ma'chines comprising a feed roll, a revolvin" disk havin orbital movement about the nitting hea a cooperating driven wheel running in contact with the drive disk, an associated screw rotatable b* a star wheel coordinated therewith to shi t the wheel radially of the drive disk for impartation of variable speed to the feed roll aforesaid, and automatic control means in cluding a pair of tappetmembers adapted to engage the star wheel at opposite sides of its rotative axis, independently movable cam levers to which the tappet members are respectively subject, and a measuring chain with lugs for alternately actuating said cam levers to move the tappets into the path of said star wheel.

5. Elastic yarn feeding means for circular knitting machines comprising a "feed roll, a revolving disk having orbital movement about the knitting head, a cooperating driven wheel running in contact with the drive disk, an associated screwrotatable by a star, wheel coordinated therewith to shift the wheel radially of the drive disk character described including for impartation of variable speed to the feed roll aforesaid, and control means including a pair of tappet members adapted to engage the star wheel at opposite sides of its rotative axis, and independently mov-.

able levers capable of being manually actuated to selectively advance the tappets into the path of said star wheel.

6. Elastic yarn feeding means of the character described includinga pair of co operative feed rolls, a revolving'drive disk, a friction wheel mounted on the same axis with one of the feed rolls aforesaid running in contact with the drive disk, and a spring operative upon the other feed, roll to maintain itin pressure contact wit-h its fellow and the friction wheel with the drive disk.

7. Elastic yarn feeding means of the a pair of cooperative feed rolls, a revolvin drive disk, a friction wheel mounted on t 6 same axis with one of the feed rolls aforesaid runnin in contact with the drive disk, at piv ote arm carrying the other feed roll, and a spring influencing the arm to maintain pressure contact of the feed rolls one with the other, and of the friction wheel with the drive disk.

8. Elastic yarn feeding means of the character described including a pair of cooperative feed rolls, a revolving drive disk, a friction wheel mounted on the same shaft with one of the feed rolls aforesaid running in contact with the drive disk, a housing affording the shaft shiftable journal support, an arm fulcrumed on the housing and carrying the other of the feed rolls, and a spring influencing the arm to main pressure contact of the feed rolls one with the other, and of the friction wheel with the drive disk.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this 22nd day of January, 1926.

CHRISTIAN FILBERG. 

